A major developmental stumbling block in many industries is the time and expense required to test and analyze mechanical components and structures under various environmental conditions. Each of the components of an automobile, for example, separately and together, must be designed, tested to its stress limit, analyzed, and modified before it can be put into production. With standard techniques, this process often takes as much as eight months. And if the results are negative, extensive retrofitting of the assembly line is required-an expensive proposition. The same problem exists in any industry or application where mechanical devices and structures are placed under constant stress.